If you’ve spent any time in New Jersey — or talking food with people from New Jersey — then you’ve probably encountered an age-old culinary discourse. I am, of course, talking about the “Is it pork roll or Taylor ham?” debate, which also has implications for where in the state you might find yourself. Whatever you choose to call it, it’s hard to deny that pork roll/Taylor ham is pretty delicious as part of a breakfast sandwich.
And now, if you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to drink a boozy version of the iconic pork roll, egg and cheese sandwich, you can wonder no more. 3BR Distillery, based in central Jersey, recently debuted 011 PEC On Everything, a new spirit that seeks to transform a breakfast staple into something suitable for cocktails.
This spirit is part of 3BR Distillery’s “Elevator Series” of small-batch experimental liquors, often using local ingredients. The distillery’s announcement of 011 PEC On Everything cited past installments in the same series using locally-grown tomatoes and peaches; their spirit Ginger Bear was also made with cranberry blossom honey sourced from nearby producers.
If the social media post commemorating this spirit’s release is any indication, the process for 011 PEC On Everything involved a different kind of local sourcing — namely, getting a lot of pork roll from a local bagel shop. According to their announcement, the spirit “contains the excellent meaty, smoky flavor notes found in a pork roll, egg, and cheese within the comfort of the bready-ness of an everything bagel.” The distillery goes on to recommend using it for a Bloody Mary or Negroni.
The Rise of Peated Cask-Finished Spirits
That smokiness isn’t just for whisky, eitherThis isn’t the first unexpected flavor combination 3BR Distillery has rolled out lately. Among 3BR’s other offerings is Mendel, a vodka made from peas; they’ve also distilled another pea spirit, Gorovka, drawing inspiration from the founders’ grandfather’s experiments in home distillation. We might be living in a golden age of spirits experimentation — see also, Chicago bars embracing cicada-infused Malört. And it’s not hard to imagine a world where a boozy version of a breakfast sandwich quickly becomes a brunch staple.
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